Looking for a sit with a "piano" (or other keyword)

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
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I’ve mentioned this once before, but it would be great to have a keyword search function when searching for sits to identify special amenities, like “piano.”

I’m a musician, and I’ll be in the UK working on music with a graduate school colleague in early May. It would be great to find a housesit for us both, with a piano, so we can take care of your pets AND get some music-writing done.

There is absolutely NO WAY to find such a housesit except to input the dates of travel and open up every single listing, scanning for a photo of a piano. It’s a huge waste of time. Keyword searches have been standard on the web for a few decades now, but I can’t just type in “piano” in THS to find those listings.

A tip for homeowners: if you do have a piano, or some other special amenity (I saw a kiln once, and a sewing studio), make sure there’s a prominent photo of it and mention it in your listing…if you feel comfortable with housesitters using those amenities, of course. For a certain segment of housesitters, they’re bigger selling points than you might realise.

Thanks for reading! W.

p.s. If you’re in the UK, have a piano (and/or even a bass, which I also play), and need a housesitter between May 6–15, let me know! I have 13 5-star reviews. :slight_smile:

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2

Maybe ask @Jenny to move this to the owner category where you’re directing this to owners who hopefully have a piano.

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Thanks for the tag @temba - I’ve moved this over to the Owner category :slight_smile:

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@WMBS I agree! I’ve been banging on about being able to search for sits with Vizslas and pianos for years! :rofl:

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@WMBS
You aren’t the only sitter looking for a piano
:musical_keyboard: :musical_notes:

https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/toaster-who-cares-but-do-you-have-a-piano

Or a music room :guitar:

https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/a-sit-with-guitars

I’d like to be able to use a keyword to search for unique properties to house sit like “water mill “or “Dutch barge” or “lighthouse”…

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@Becca how many have you found ?

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7

@Silversitters The closest I’ve got is a Weimaraner and a tambourine!

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I’m on a sit with a vizsla right now. She may be my favorite dog ever. The sit is in Crozet, Virginia, US if you want to find and favorite it.

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9

Aaaw, thank you. That location would be a bit too far for me at the moment. I’ve spotted a lovely one in Wales though, just need to get our dates to align. Enjoy your sit - I’m very envious!

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10

Keyword search ability Seconded, although not holding my breath.

I scan for sits with private or shared pool access, since that’s my preferred means of exercise & I actively search out the warmer regions.

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11

We have a piano but if we list it, we’ll have to get it tuned prior to the sitter’s arrival! Lol :laughing:

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12

You may wish to consider looking for sitting opportunities in Canterbury, as it is a very musical and (in general) artistic community. I previously sat for a trumpet and keyboard player, and my next-door neighbor was a renowned violinist. In fact, nearly everyone I met played some instrument.

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13

Can’t help with the search function but thx for the idea to add these types of amenities. Wonder how many great sitters may have been wooed by my tenor ukelele! Also have a Ghanaian ‘marimba’ (don’t know the proper name) and a drum, a big art studio, and even a treadmill and rowing machine some people might enjoy. Good suggestion!

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14

One summer we had two sits in U.K. We found out only after the sit was confirmed (when we read the welcome guide ) that we had full use of an outdoor swimming pool at both sits . This was totally unexpected and very welcome during an English Summer heat wave .

Neither of the hosts had included photos of the pool in the listing . This was deliberate choice by the hosts - because they didn’t want to attract the “wrong type of sitters “ those who were only attracted to the sit because of the pool .

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15

I sit almost exclusively in Scotland, though just flew back today from 2 sits in Northern Ireland, and I do remember later last year having a run of sits where there were pianos, let me see if I can find them and can message you. One I know was in Ballachulish, near Fort William, as the owner had written in notes “tiddles” knows he is not allowed on the piano. I loved that.

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16

I guess I can see that, although at least in my case they’d be getting a very reliable sitter who’d have an extra excuse to stay home with the pets vs. wandering very far afield… :blush:

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17

Me too. I did a lovely sit last September where there was a pool and although I had plans to do things in the area (only 30 mins drive from Jane Austen’s house), other than early morning swims in a local lake and long dogwalks in the woods, I didn’t venture out because being able to use the pool was such a treat.

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Yes us too -we stayed put as the pool was the best place to be -

I guess some hosts would worry about liability if a family with young children stayed and had an accident , but they must have thought that me and hubby looked sensible :speak_no_evil_monkey: :wink:

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21

I do know a house with a piano (and much more) that is looking for a sitter in the end of Jul/beginning of August. I, unfortunately, cannot do that one. It is in Hampshire, England. PM me if you are interested!

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22

Yep, same experience here. At the end of the first tour around the large house, the owner led me down into the basement. I was expecting laundry room/garage etc, but she flipped the lightswitch and illuminated a huge indoor pool! Down there was also an amazing cinema, sauna, bar etc… They also had not mentioned/shown that it the initial listing, for similar reasons.

Also, yes, being allowed to search on keywords would be fantastic. But, of course, aint never gonna happen :melting_face:

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